12 crowd-stopping appetizers to make for Thanksgiving

Thankful for appetizers

I love the holiday season. The merriness, the togetherness, the food (duh). But what might surprise you is my favorite course: the appetizers. There’s just something I find so enjoyable about the casualness of a small bite, enjoyed on the couch or milling around, chatting with people food in one hand, drink in the other. It’s just so much more fun than the mains and sides.

And while I’m a big fan of a nice charcuterie board or even just some crunchy kettle cooked chips and store-bought French onion dip, I’m also a fan of going a lil’ overboard on the apps this time of year.

I mean, I think if there was ever a time to make a spread that will make people do a double-take, it’s now. Honestly, few things make me happier (hosting-wise, that is), than when people walk in, take a look at my appetizer-filled coffee table, and excitedly say, “Wow” before digging in. And sharing something delicious with friends in between sips and chatting? The best.

All of the recipes today are shareable, scalable, and delectable. Some are easier than others but none are overly complicated, and all are guaranteed to impress anyone who comes within smelling distance. They might even be worth filling up on before the main course — or at least having a few too many because, ya know, ‘tis the season.

Olive and Walnut Salsa Verde Over Whipped Ricotta

Salty olives, creamy whipped ricotta, crunchy walnuts, sweet pomegranate — need I say more? Sub the ricotta for yogurt, labneh, or burrata if that tickles your fancy, and serve this with toasted baguette slices or a sturdy cracker/chip.

Serves: 4-8

• 1 cup castelvetrano olives, roughly chopped

• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

• 1/3 cup walnut pieces, roughly chopped

• 1 garlic clove, microplaned

• Juice of 1 lemon (save the zest for the ricotta!)

• Zest of 1 orange

• 3/4 cup of olive oil

• 1/3 cup pomegranate arils

• Salt + pepper

• Optional: chopped jalapeno if you like it spicy

• 1 16-oz container ricotta cheese

• Zest of 1 lemon

Combine olives, parsley, cilantro, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, orange zest, olive oil, and pomegranate in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, whip your ricotta with lemon zest using an electric mixer until it’s nice and airy.

Spread the ricotta on a plate and top with the olive sauce.

Puff Pastry Batons

I make these for every holiday because they are just so easy and who can resist buttery puff pastry? These are light and crispy and always one of the first things to go. You can fill them with so many things, but the combination of Dijon mustard, Gruyère, and Parmesan will always have my heart.

Serves: 10

• 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry, defrosted according to package directions

• Flour for rolling

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I used @mailleus because it’s the best)

• 1/4 cup each Gruyère and Parmesan cheese

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds

On a lightly floured surface, roll out your puff pastry until it’s about 12 x 16 (doesn’t need to be exact). Brush with Dijon mustard, then, with the shorter side facing you, sprinkle half with the cheese. Fold over the other half. At this point, if your puff pastry has gotten too warm and is a bit sticky/too pliable, throw it back in the fridge for 20 or so minutes. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter (I used a ravioli cutter because I like the zigzag edges it creates), cut your pastry into 10 1-inch rectangles. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown, rotating halfway through. Serve warm or at room temp.

French Onion Phyllo Triangles

I love a phyllo triangle because they feel fancy but are actually pretty easy to make. These are loaded with caramelized onions and gruyère for all the French onion soup vibes, but in a lil’ bite-sized phyllo-encrusted triangle.

Serves: 12

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 onions, thinly sliced

• 5 sprigs thyme

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1/3 cup wine or broth

• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

• 4-5 sheets of phyllo dough

• 1 egg, beaten

• Flaky salt for garnish

Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, thyme, and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring every so often so the onions don’t burn, for about an hour. Keep an eye on them and turn down the heat if they seam to be burning or browning too quickly.

Once the onions are caramelized, add the butter and wine and bring to a boil. Add the flour and stir, letting the mixture thicken for a couple minutes. Allow the onions to mostly cool.

Meanwhile, take your phyllo and, starting at the shorter edge, cut it into three long, equal-width pieces. If you aren’t going to start making your triangles immediately, cover the phyllo with a damp kitchen towel or paper towel so it doesn’t dry out and crack.

Preheat oven to 375. Take one strip of phyllo and place 1 spoonful of onions on top and a big pinch of cheese. Take the bottom right corner of the phyllo dough and fold it up and towards the left, creating a triangle shape. Keep folding the triangle until you have reached the end of the strip. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the triangles with egg and sprinkle with flaky salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Mortadella Phyllo Triangles

Phyllo triangles, round two. This time with a meaty, charcuterie-y filling. Because who doesn’t love mortadella?

Serves: 8

• 3-4 sheets of phyllo dough

• 8 thin slices of mortadella

• 1⁄2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

• 1⁄3 cup chopped pistachios

• 1 egg, beaten

• Flaky salt for garnishing

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Start by cutting your phyllo sheets into long rectangles. Starting on the shorter side, cut each sheet into 3 long pieces. Each strip will make one triangle and this recipe is only for 8, but since phyllo can tear and dry out very quickly, I recommend having a few extras just in case.

Place 1 slice of mortadella, 1 tbsp of the mozzarella, and a sprinkle of pistachios at the end of a strip of phyllo. Take the bottom right corner of phyllo dough and fold it up and towards the left, creating a triangle shape. Keep folding the triangle until you have reached the end of the strip. Place your triangles on a baking sheet, and brush with the egg. Sprinkle with flaky salt and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Warm Marinated Olives

Olives straight out of the jar are a fabulous little appy that I will gladly eat any day of the year, but these are just a lil more special. You can really marinate them with any herbs/spices/aromatics you have on hand to make them your own, but I think serving them warm is what really sets these apart.

Serves: 12-16

• ~6 cups of olives, pitted or not – chef’s choice

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 2 tbsp red pepper paste (you can find this in any Middle Eastern market)

• 1 orange, zest + juice

• Juice of half a lemon

• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill

• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Mix all ingredients together in a pan. Heat over medium-low until olives are heated through and the room smells absolutely delicious – about 10 minutes. Serve warm, preferably with festive toothpicks but fingers and forks will do.

Fried Zucchini Chips With Tzatziki

A crunchy, light-as-air, and addictive little snack. Admittedly, these are a bit more hands-on if you fry them just before serving, but I find that they can be reheated to a perfect crisp in the air fryer should you want to make ‘em ahead.

Serves: 8

For the tzatziki:

• 1 large persian cucumber, grated (you want about 1/2 cup grated cucumber)

• 1 cup Greek yogurt

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or microplaned

• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• salt

Line a colander with a clean towel or paper towels and add in the grated cucumber. Gather the cucumber in the towel or paper towels, and then squeeze out as much water as you can.

Add cucumbers to the Greek yogurt along with the rest of the ingredients and a pinch of salt and mix. Taste, and add more salt if desired. Set aside.

For the fried zucchini:

• 2 zucchini (about 1 lb total), thinly sliced (I used the 4.5mm setting on my mandoline)

• 1 cup flour

• 1 1/3 cup soda water

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• salt and pepper

• Neutral oil for frying

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda water, and dried oregano, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a couple inches oil over medium to medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Once oil is hot (you can use a droplet of the batter to test the oil), dip a handful of zucchini slices in the batter then transfer one by one to the oil, using either tongs or a fork. Working in batches, fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes depending on how hot your oil is, then flip and fry until the second side is golden brown. Remove to either a paper towel-lined plate or a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Season with salt.

Serve the fried zucchini warm with tzatziki on the side. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Loaded Hummus

Hummus and carrots but all dressed up for a special occasion. You can totally use store-bought hummus here to make things easier, but this recipe is also the best hummus I’ve ever made. And don’t forget lots of pita bread/chips on the side for dipping!

Serves: 6-8

For the hummus:

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 3-4 garlic cloves

• Juice of 1 lemon (~2 tbsp)

• ½ cup tahini

• Salt

Place your chickpeas and baking soda in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, until chickpeas can easily be smushed between your fingers. Let cool for at least 10 minutes or in the fridge for a few hours.

Add your cooked chickpeas to a high-speed blender or food processor along with the rest of your ingredients and 2 cubes of ice. Blend, adding ice water as needed to loosen it up and achieve your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.

For the roasted carrots:

• 4 medium carrots, cut in half and then cut into quarters

• 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried

• 4 shallots, peeled and quartered

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 1 tbsp Aleppo pepper

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• Sprinkle of cinnamon

• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 415. Place your carrots, chickpeas, and shallots on a baking sheet, and mix with oil and spices. Use your hands to make sure everything is evenly coated. Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing every 10 or so minutes, until carrots are cooked through and starting to caramelize and chickpeas are crispy.

For serving:

• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

• ¼ cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped/torn

• Olive oil

• Bread for dipping

Spread your hummus on a plate. Top with roasted veggies, feta, herbs, and olive oil. Serve with your favorite bread for dipping and scooping.

Pizza Carrots Over Burrata

Roasted carrots don’t exactly scream exciting appetizer, but roasted carrots over burrata, topped with a warm pizza-flavored oil? Yes, please. The oil is spiked with fennel, olives, and garlic, giving it that savory, aromatic pizza flavor. Combined with the cold, creamy burrata, it’s just so good.

This was a paid recipe that I am unlocking for the next week in honor of the holiday — get it here.

Fried Stuffed Olives

Can you tell I love olives? These are stuffed with mozzarella cheese, breaded, and fried until the outside is golden brow and the inside is ooey-gooey. Promise you can’t have just one.

Makes: 25-30

• 1 8-oz jar large, pitted olives (about 25-30 total)

• 4 oz low moisture mozzarella cheese

• 2⁄3 cup flour

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup breadcrumbs

• 1⁄4 cup parmigiano cheese 1 tbsp dried parsley

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• Salt and pepper

• Oil for cooking

• Lemon wedges for serving

Drain olives and set aside to dry. Slice your mozzarella into very small rectangles that are the size of the space inside your pitted olives. Stuff each olive with a piece of cheese.

Place your flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Season the flour with a little bit of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Beat the eggs with a little salt. Add parmigiano, dried parsley, garlic powder, a little salt, and pepper to breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Note: because the olives are already salty, you don’t want to overdo it with the salt in this step.

Dredge the stuffed olives by first coating in flour, then egg wash, then breadcrumbs.

In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat 1 inch of neutral cooking oil over medium-high heat. Fry the olives in batches of 5-8 olives for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown all over. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

To serve, drizzle with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and enjoy hot with a glass of cold wine. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Gratin Stacks

I love a classic potato gratin, but this is a fun way to turn it into an app (or, serve as a side!). The beets and sweet potatoes add a bit of sweetness to counteract the creamy savory sauce, there’s a good amount of cheese because why not, and the little stacks get all crisp at the bottom when they’re baked. Plus, the colors!

Serves: 12

• 2 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced

• 2 medium beets, thinly sliced

• 1 medium sweet potato, thinly sliced

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 4 garlic cloves, smashed

• 2 sage leaves

• 1 sprig thyme

• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1.5 cups shredded gruyere

• Butter for pan

Preheat oven to 400. To make cream mixture: heat cream, garlic, sage, thyme, and salt in a small sauce pan over medium low heat, until hot but not boiling. Pour over sliced veggies and mix. Grease a muffin tin with butter. Alternating between the veggies, create small stacks of potatoes, beets, and sweet potatoes. They should be tall enough to reach just under halfway up the muffin tin. Ladle some of the cream mixture into each tin, until about halfway full. Sprinkle a pinch of cheese on each stack, then top with another small stack of veggies. Pour over remaining cream, sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover with tinfoil, and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, uncover, then bake for 15 more minutes.Let stand 5 minutes, remove from pan, and serve warm.

Raclette Crostini

I love love love raclette, but it isn’t exactly a finger food, which is why I love these little petite crostinis. They’re almost too easy to make, but taste amazing and look fancy. In other words, perfect holiday party fare.

• 1 baguette, sliced into rounds

• Olive oil

• Raclette cheese

• Cornichons

• Pickled onions

• Your favorite cured meats

• Toothpicks

Preheat your oven to 400. Lightly coat your baguette slices in olive oil and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove, top each crostini with a piece of raclette cheese, and bake again until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 5-7 minutes. While that’s baking, assemble your garnishes by skewering one pickled onion, one cornichon, and one slice of meat on a toothpick. When the cheese is melted, top each with a toothpick and serve immediately. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Warm Dipping Oil

If you’re looking for an app that really requires next to no effort, this is it. Oil and aromatics, heated just for a couple minutes, and served with crusty bread. So simple, so good.

Serves: 6-8

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup olives, roughly chopped

• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

• Calabrian chili paste or red pepper flakes (optional if you like it spicy)

• 2 garlic cloves, sliced

• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

• Balsamic vinegar

• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes over medium-low heat until fragrant and sizzling. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and chilis and cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently and making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Immediately remove from heat, pour into a shallow bowl, and top with balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.